Security

There is an increased global risk of terrorism. No country is immune from a terrorist attack, and no person is immune from becoming a victim of an attack. Terrorists have little regard for civilian casualties and, in many cases, attacks are designed to maximise casualties.

Although New Zealand travellers are unlikely to be targeted deliberately, they are usually indistinguishable from any “Western” tourist, and frequent places where other Western tourists are found. This puts New Zealanders at the same risk as others.

Wherever you are, you should keep yourself informed about the latest alerts and stay aware of your surroundings in areas where large numbers of people congregate, such as shopping malls, markets, monuments, demonstrations and on any public transport.

Morocco , Algeria, Tunisia and Libya have all suffered from terrorism domestically oriented as a result of civil conflict or directed against foreigners by radical Islamic elements.

Do not travel to the Far North region due to the threat from terrorism, kidnapping and armed banditry.

Do not travel to the Bakassi peninsula region and within 40 kilometres of the borders with the Central African Republic, Chad and Nigeria’s Adamawa state. Armed bandits are known to operate in these areas and there is the potential for crossborder attacks and kidnappings.

Do not travel to the Central African Republic (CAR) due to the unstable security situation, activities of armed rebel groups and the high level of violent crime.

New Zealanders currently in CAR are advised to depart as soon as it is safe to do so.

New Zealanders who remain in CAR against our advice should avoid any unnecessary travel, keep a low profile, maintain a high degree of personal security awareness and take all possible security precautions to protect their safety. We recommend ensuring you have adequate stocks of essential supplies on hand, and monitor media reports and local information sources closely to keep up to date on the security situation.

Do not travel within 30 kilometres of all international borders and in the Borkou, Ennedi, Kanem, Lac, Ouaddaï, Sila, Tibesti and Wadi Fira regions due to the threat of terrorism and kidnapping, the presence of armed militants and the unpredictable security situation.

Do not travel to eastern and north-eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including the provinces of Haut-Uele, Haut Lomami, Ituri, Kasai, Kasai Central, Kasai Oriental, Maniema, Tanganyika, North and South Kivu and within 50 kilometres of the border with the Central African Republic. This is due to the unstable security situation, ongoing armed conflict and violent crime.

Do not travel to the border area with Eritrea, as a long-running border dispute has caused tensions between Djibouti and Eritrea. The security situation remains fragile and further conflict is a possibility.

Do not travel within 25 kilometres of the border areas with Sudan, Ethiopia and Djibouti, including the town of Teseney and areas north and west of Barentu, Ak’ordat and Nakh’fa due to ongoing tensions in Eritrea’s relations with these countries, the presence of landmines and the risk of violence, including armed banditry.

Do not travel within 10 kilometers of Ethiopia's borders with Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan and Eritrea, with the exception of Highway 80 and the Moyale border crossing along the Kenyan border.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy’s peace overtures to Eritrea from June 2018 have resulted in the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea being reopened, although it remains a militarised zone pending withdrawal of forces.

Do not travel to most parts of the Somali region, specifically the Nogob (previously Fik), Jarar (previously Degehabur), Shabelle (previously Gode), Korahe and Dollo (previously Warder) zones and within 100 kilometres of the border with Somalia in the Afder and Liben zones.

Do not travel to certain parts of the Gambella region (the districts of Akobo, Wantawo, Jikawo and Lare in the Nuer zone and Jore district in the Agnuak zone).

Do not travel to areas bordering Somalia due to the significant threat of terrorism, kidnapping and cross-border attacks. This includes Garissa county, Mandera county and with Somalia, including Kiwayu and coastal areas north of Pate Island.

Do not travel to the border areas with Ethiopia and South Sudan, with the exception of the A2 Highway and Moyale border crossing. Cross-border kidnapping and armed banditry make these border areas extremely unsafe.

Do not travel to Libya. The ongoing conflict and the threat from terrorism and kidnapping present a significant risk to New Zealanders in Libya. New Zealanders currently in Libya are strongly advised to depart immediately.

As there is no New Zealand diplomatic presence in Libya, the ability of the government to assist New Zealand citizens is severely limited. The British Embassy, which had previously provided emergency assistance to New Zealanders in Libya, has closed due to the security situation.

Do not travel to the eastern and northern regions of Mauritania, or to Mauritania’s border areas with Algeria, Mali and Western Sahara due to the risk of military activities, the actions of extremist groups, and the risk of armed banditry and kidnapping. Anyone entering the border area could be considered a legitimate military target. Land mines are also present along the border with Western Sahara.

Do not travel to the provinces of Tiris Zemmour, Adrar, Tagant, Hodh ech Chargui, Hodh El Gharbi, Assaba, and Guidimaka.

Do not travel to Western Sahara (a disputed and non-self-governing territory largely under Moroccan control), within 30 kilometres north and west of the Berm and all areas south and east of the Berm due to the threat posed by unexploded landmines.

Do not travel to the north-eastern states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, and Yobe. There is an ongoing significant threat from terrorism and a very high threat of kidnapping in these areas. Any New Zealanders currently in these areas are advised to leave immediately.

Do not travel to the delta states of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Imo, Rivers (including Port Harcourt and Bonny Island) and the river areas of Cross River state in the south east of the country. The significant risk of kidnapping, armed attacks against foreign oil companies and expatriate workers, localised conflict and violent civil unrest present an extreme risk to safety in these areas.

Do not travel to Somalia. New Zealanders currently in Somalia are advised to leave. There is a significant threat from terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict and a high level of violent crime throughout the country.

New Zealanders who decide to travel to Somalia against our advice should ensure that appropriate personal security protection measures are in place at all times. We strongly recommend you consult a reputable security company with experience in Somalia for advice on security arrangements. Security arrangements should be reviewed on a regular basis. Such measures may mitigate the risks to your safety but cannot eliminate them entirely. No part of Somalia can be considered safe. This includes large cities such as Mogadishu and Kismayo.

Do not travel to the Darfur region, the Red Sea state border with Eritrea, the Abyei region, Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states, areas of Northern Kordofan and White Nile states south of the Kosti-El Obeid-En Nahud road, or within 50 kilometres of the border with Libya, due to the threat of armed conflict and terrorism and the high level of violent crime, including kidnapping.

Do not travel to Likouala department within 50 kilometres of the border with the Central African Republic due to the uncertain security situation, high levels of crime and the large presence of displaced people.

Do not travel to the Chaambi Mountains National Park, including the town of Kasserine, near the border with Algeria due to ongoing armed conflict between Tunisian security forces and militant groups.

Do not travel within 30 kilometres of the border with Algeria, in the military zone south of the towns of El Borma and Dhehiba, and within 50 kilometres of the border with Libya, including the town of Ben Guerdane, due to the threat of terrorism, kidnapping and the presence of armed groups.

Avoid non-essential travel to South Sinai due to the risk of terrorism and ongoing military operations. This does not include the area within the Sharm el Sheikh perimeter barrier, which includes Sharm el Maya, Hadaba, Naama Bay, Sharks Bay and Nabq, where we advise exercising increased caution as below.

Avoid non-essential travel to the area west of the Nile Valley and Nile Delta regions, including the Western Desert. This does not include the coastal resort areas between the Nile Delta and Marsa Matruh, or the tourist areas along the Nile River, where we advise exercising increased caution as below.

Avoid non-essential travel elsewhere in Eritrea due to the unpredictable security situation which has the potential to deteriorate with little warning should tensions between Eritrea and neighbouring countries escalate.

Avoid non-essential travel to the Danakil desert area (east of the Dessie-Adigrat road and north of the Dessie-Djibouti road).

There is a significant threat to your security in these areas due to cross border tensions, the activities of armed militant groups, the risk of kidnapping and armed banditry, and the presence of landmines.

Avoid non-essential travel to Rwanda's borders with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Burundi due to the unpredictable security situation, and the risk of banditry and cross-border incursions by armed groups.

Avoid non-essential travel to the Casamance region, except for Cap Skirring, Zinguinchor and the main road connecting these two cities due to armed banditry and clashes between separatist groups and the Senegalese army.

Avoid non-essential travel to Sudan due to the threat of terrorism, kidnapping, violent crime, and the potential for violent civil unrest.

New Zealanders in Sudan should ensure they have appropriate security measures in place including a contingency plan for departure should a sudden deterioration in the security situation occur. New Zealanders in the capital Khartoum should exercise caution if travelling around the city and avoid travel at night. Travel outside Khartoum requires a permit from local authorities. If you intend travelling outside the capital, you should ensure appropriate personal security protection measures are in place and keep a low profile.

Avoid all non-essential travel to the border areas with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola and Mozambique due to the presence of landmines. The local authorities can provide advice on affected areas.

Exercise increased caution in the area within the Sharm el Sheikh perimeter barrier, which includes Sharm el Maya, Hadaba, Naama Bay, Sharks Bay and Nabq, due to the unpredictable political situation, civil unrest, crime and the threat of terrorism.

Exercise increased caution in the coastal resort areas between the Nile Delta and Marsa Matruh, and the tourist areas along the Nile River, due to the unpredictable political situation, civil unrest, crime and the threat of terrorism.

Exercise increased caution elsewhere in Egypt due to the unpredictable political situation, civil unrest, crime and threat of terrorism.